Are Malaysians eating healthy? Think twice of the salt content in your food

KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 — There’s no doubt that most food tastes better with a dash of salt.

We often can’t help it at the dining table but reach out to add some salt to the food for extra flavour.

But that rich flavour may be putting our health at risk.

It may be shocking to know that the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019 estimated three in 10 adult Malaysians were affected by hypertension.

Salt, which comprises 40 per cent sodium, is the main culprit of hypertension.

While many people may think they are consuming sodium within its recommended amount, survey results show otherwise.

According to the Malaysian Community Salt Survey 2021 (MyCoss), over half of the respondents thought they were consuming the right amount of sodium.

However, when their actual intake of sodium was analysed, about 79 per cent of them were consuming more than the recommended amount.

According to dietitian Dr Lee Ching Li, many people might not be aware of where actual sodium in food comes from and that could lead to overconsumption.

Citing World Health Organisation, Dr Lee said that sodium consumption must be kept to less than 2000mg — about 5g or slightly less than a teaspoonful of salt a day.

The culprits

Dr Lee said the usual food suspects with high sodium content include processed food, snacks, preserved food, salt, sauces and condiments that are added to food during or after cooking.

“The high sodium content of this food comes from the way the food is processed or cooked.

“For example, chicken naturally contains about 42mg of sodium per 100g meat, but when it is processed into a burger patty, its sodium content increases to 243mg per 100g patty.

“Similarly, beans are naturally very low in sodium but they would become high in sodium when processed into baked beans (about 422mg sodium per 100g).”

She said potatoes, on the other hand, contain about 33mg of sodium per 100g, but when they are processed into potato chips, the sodium content will increase to 712mg per 100g.

“The key to choosing food with less sodium is to have it in its original state rather than food that has been processed,” added Dr Lee, who is also an academic at the International Medical University (IMU).

It’s in our taste bud

According to Dr Lee, the MyCoss study showed that eating outside was not associated with high sodium intake among Malaysians.

“This is different from what is seen in other countries, where eating out is associated with increased sodium intake.

“What I feel is happening is that Malaysians are heavy-handed when it comes to seasoning their food during cooking.”

She said the MyCoss study showed that the main contributor of sodium in the Malaysian diet is cooked food such as vegetable dishes, omelettes, chicken dishes, fried rice, nasi lemak, roti canai/telur and fried noodles.

“Eating out or at home does not make a difference as Malaysians use excessive sodium even for meals cooked at home.

“From this, the one thing that we all can do to avoid consuming too much salt is to go easy on the salt, sauces and condiments that we add to our food during cooking.”

Dr Lee said when dining outside, the best practice is to ask for the food to be prepared with less salt, sauce or gravy.

The silent killer

According to IMU family medicine specialist Assoc Prof Dr Verna Lee Kar Mun, hypertension or high blood pressure is known as the silent killer as most people feel fine in spite of it.

She, however, said ignoring it can lead to serious complications like stroke and organ failure, and once the warning signs set in, such as blurred vision, giddiness, chest pain and difficulty breathing, this means that complications are already happening.

“Risk factors for hypertension include a family history of the condition, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet that is high in sodium.

“If any of these apply to you, you could be at risk for developing hypertension.”

Similarly, Dr Verna also pointed to salt as the main culprit when it comes to hypertension.

“Most of us know that soy sauce and many gravies are high in sodium, but sometimes even foods that don’t taste very salty can have high sodium content.

“On a positive note, consuming food that is naturally high in potassium such as bananas, nuts and citrus fruits can help to regulate blood pressure levels.”

Dr Verna noted that it’s important for everyone to check their blood pressure at least once a year or each time one visits a clinic.

“Do not be fearful about getting your blood pressure checked.

“You should aim to have your blood pressure checked at least once a year even if you are in good health.”